Positive Discipline

TBS K-6 Music Teacher Kim Headlee submitted this report on a recent professional development training she attended about Positive Discipline, a paradigm for thinking about interactions with children that forms one of the foundations of our approach to classroom management.

Positive Discipline with Lori Onderwyzer

October 26/27, 2012 at Mills College, Oakland, CA

After reading about Positive Discipline, it was an unparalleled experience to have the chance to practice and discuss it among a diverse group of teachers, counselors, and administrators. All equally passionate about making a positive difference for children, we came from a wide diversity of experience: from public to private schools, from 1^st year to retired teachers, from pre-K to high school. We spent two full days exploring ourselves as both learners and teachers, and delving into practical theories for the modern classroom.

Positive discipline is based on Alfred Adler’s idea that all humans have a basic need for belonging and significance, and uses this idea to foster connection and mutual respect, and to empower children to realize their own capabilities. For example, Positive Discipline emphasizes encouragement over praise; the first creates intrinsic motivation and self esteem while the latter builds worth only through external means, which disappears with external source. Encouragements are about the student; praise is about the teacher. Praise and other external motivation like rewards and punishments create a fixed reality with no room for improvement, only regression. For example, think of how, “I’m so proud of you!” feels as opposed to “You should feel so proud of yourself.” 

Positive Discipline, along with its guiding principles, suggests simple classroom management tools. A few of my favorites are the one word redirect, and using 10 words or less whenever possible. Remember Charlie Brown’s teacher? Another is providing the “wheel of choice,” a set of problem solutions that kids can do themselves, including “apologize,” “count to ten,” and “use an ‘I’ message.” Lastly, asking “what” and “how” questions (not “why”) put the onus on children to follow their own learning process. It is this learning process we strive for as educators; after all, the root of the word is “ēducāre,” which means “to draw forth.” And the root of the word “discipline?” It’s “disciplina,” which means “to guide.”